And the Ideal Democratic Candidate Is…

Since last years elections, many Progressive, Democratic, and Left Leaning organizations, leaders, and activists have spent many hours and hours in print and social media debating on what type of person and message is ideal to run for office on the Democratic ticket at the local, state, and federal levels and win with a coalition that unites the base and pragmatic progressive wings of the country.

Several of the findings conclude:

• Being authentic and inviting when talking with voters who feel alienated, left out, and misunderstood by Democrats. These include young men, working class voters, and groups that in 2024, shifted their support to Trump after, despite the track record, buying his lies on lowering prices.
• Educate the voters. How many voters out there are the beneficiaries of Biden’s Infrastructure Law or Inflation Reduction Act or the enhanced Obamacare Subsidies that still voted for Trump anyway because they felt that, despite the track record, he understood their concerns, would lower prices for them and get the worst of the worst off the street. There needs to be a better effort at bursting the social media bubbles these groups have become trapped in and actually reach out to people that do not have the time to read the newspaper in depth. In the last election, the less educated tended to vote more for Trump. Democrats have to do more to better inform people with little more than a high school diploma.
• Articulate a hopeful and forward vision for the future that includes opportunities for everyone to succeed and thrive. Joseph Heath wrote an article for the New York Times calling on the Democrats to band together and write their own Project 2029. Joe Biden had the right slogan in promoting the economy from the bottom up and the middle out. Unfortunately, swing voters did not pay attention.
• Show some fight against the misplaced priorities of the current federal government that promotes domestic concentration camps, pulls innocent people off the street without due process, are zen masters in grift and science denialism, promote ignorance among the people as a strength, give the growing clean energy market to China, and would willingly give billionaires a working class families last penny if they could.
• Be strong on public safety. That not should be hard considering it is Donald Trump who pardoned 1500 domestic terrorists for their role on January 6, 2021, is defunding the police, is creating a Gestapo-Secret Police Force out of ICE, and has done nothing except terrorize law abiding people in the United States under the guise of immigration enforcement while obstructing comprehensive immigration reform.
• Field candidates that can win. While this is an obvious duh, people have to realize that location, location, location is everything with local and state races and swing voters. There is no virtually way that Zohran Mamdani, despite his considerable political gifts, would win in places like Huntsville, Denver, New Orleans, Austin, or Phoenix. Democrats need to find candidates that will appeal to the people on the ground. If they can win on a base progressive message, fine. If they need to be more pragmatic and centrist on their progressive agenda, fine. As Nancy Pelosi once said “Just win, baby.”

So what is the ideal Democratic candidate?

Kate deGruyter, Senior Communications Director for Third Way, commented to Blog for Arizona:

“I think the ideal Democratic candidate embodies an active, muscular centrism. Democratic voters across the ideological spectrum deplore this Administration’s actions that are driving up prices, causing a health care cost crisis, prosecuting their political enemies, and a cruel and indiscriminate deportation machine that is making us less safe. They understand the importance of making progress for voters, but are also prepared to stand strong for their values and the priorities to help their communities. They are confident in their vision and ready to make their case to both friends and foes. Donald Trump has broken his promise to lower costs and Democrats must fight for families who are struggling to get by with rising prices for grocery, energy, housing, transportation, and everyday goods. And we must continue to show voters that we will prioritize order at the border and have a better plan to keep our neighborhoods safe and hold criminals accountable.”

Ms. deGruyter is historically correct. Over the last several decades, the centrists are the ones who have prevailed in the swing districts, state contests, and Presidential ones.

The ideal Democratic candidate is one who could mold both wings of the party and bring in Independents and disaffected Republicans into a viable and sustainable governing coalition.

This person would be one that presents a hopeful, patriotic, inclusive, and positive vision for the nation, is a pragmatic progressive who works to increase wages, expand access to quality and affordable health care, child care, food security, and Pre-K, increased Pell Grants and access to apprenticeship programs for blue and green collar workers, home ownership, renewable energy and lower utilities, while also being a strong public safety advocate, championing crime free streets and border security while embracing comprehensive immigration reform.

It is also a person that shows fight for what he or she believes and care for the people in the middle and at the bottom of the economic ladder and offers a way to climb up and attain the American Dream like owning a home, affording retirement, and creating a bright future of their children.

If one looks at 2028, there are several examples of leaders who would fit that bill on the national stage.

Here are four to look out for.

Texas Representative Jasmine Crockett

Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear

Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego

These are clearly not the only Democrats who could fulfill the criteria of the ideal Democratic candidate but do not be surprised if one or two of these people are on the 2028 Democratic ticket and run on an agenda like the one articulated above.